photography and writing

Stole for husband Adam’s big day…

The finished article!
Here with this week’s work at a sewing machine and ironing board – my finished design and applique for Adam’s stole. The decorated scarf will be worn by the husband in question at his ordination this Saturday, Bristol Cathedral.

It’s an odd time. I slightly feel like I’m celebrating the kidnapping of my husband by the church. But the stole process was a way of weaving into that – 3 designs submitted to the board (below) resulted in the approval of one over the others. This is perhaps the more traditional of the 3, showing more self-contained emblematic symbols on the white background: in this case, DNA and Michelin star (at the top), Ghanaian symbols of adaptability and unity in diversity (in the middle) and an M.C. Escher tessellating pattern of fish and birds (at the bottom). The whole was linked and decorated with gold thread throughout.

To preempt the comments about vicar’s wife, I’m encouraged by the level of commissioning going on, at great cost and vision, for such vestment-decoration. It can’t help but have traditional associations that reflect negatively on creativity and value, but in amongst that, I’m liking the fact that John Piper did vestment design (see my previous post), and that symbolism can continue to find life in a visual vein of the church.